After booking a session, the next question moms usually ask me is ‘what do we wear?’. I get that. It’s hard to make sure everyone looks good together without being too matchy-matchy and I’m always happy to offer wardrobe advice and/or critique outfit choices. Maternity sessions add an extra layer of difficulty because you have to consider how the bump will appear in photos too. It’s all to easy to choose something that doesn’t work as well as you thought it would. I thought I would use the Bannon family’s maternity session as an example as I share my tips for dressing yourself for a maternity session.

USE OF COLOR & TEXTURE

While preparing for her maternity session in Fort Walton Beach, Stephanie asked me if I thought it would be ok to wear white/off white on the beach. Would it blend into the sand too much? It may surprise you to know that it doesn’t. A monochromatic color palette actually works exceptionally well and is extremely flattering to skin tones. When working with monotones, it is a good idea to incorporate textures such as lace, knits, linen. Textures add another layer of visual interest to an image without competing or distracting from the subject. Stephanie chose a dress with a lace wrapped bodice that I think works perfectly.

FIT

When dressing the bump for photos, it is important to consider how your choice shows off your belly. I generally suggest something fitted around the whole belly so you aren’t having to hold loose fabric in to get a nice pregnant shape. It is also important to make sure you have boob/belly separation. Shirts or dresses that are so tight that the fabric stretches flat over the space between your breasts and bump, should be avoided.

The first outfit that Stephanie sent for review was an off the shoulder white top with a hi-lo hem (or at least it was hi-lo over a baby bump!) and a taupe skirt with excellent texture and a waist band that sat below the bump. Very boho and beachy. I loved the color, texture, and the fact that her bare belly poked out (the cutest!). BUT the skirt was unfortunately not designed for maternity wear and the ankle length hem hung much lower in the front than in the back. As much as I loved the outfit, I had to advise against it. But she was on the right track.

FABRIC

If you aren’t comfortable with a bare belly or form fitting outfit, that’s ok. Just be sure to choose the right fabric. Thick or stiff cotton dresses don’t do anything to show off the curves that are the whole reason behind this photo shoot. The dress Stephanie ultimately chose was this flowing, empire waisted gown made for maternity photography. It wasn’t fitted, but the empire wast provided perfect bust/bump separation and the fabric used on the more voluminous maternity gowns is slinky and skims the body as it moves. It is also light enough to billow beautifully in the wind. Such material is an important feature in a dress that isn’t fitted, as it facilitates belly definition, especially as the wearer is walking or sitting.

SPANX

If ever there were a time to wear body shaping undergarments, it’s with fitted dresses and fabrics prone to clinging to curves. Everything we just talked about. And guess what…Maternity Spanx are a thing! If you’d like a little help smoothing everything out, go for it. No one will know…unless you tell me…and I’ll admire your dedication to bump definition…especially if it’s August.

The key thing to remember here is that whatever you choose to wear for your maternity session should make it very apparent that you are pregnant. Without any extra work on your part. You should be able to move and sit in it and still look pregnant. If you have to stand a certain way, hold back fabric, or otherwise make an effort to define your belly, then it’s not a great choice.

I’m always here to help with suggestions, direction, and feedback should you need it.

Could there be anything more satisfying to a lifestyle photographer than a client that says, "I just want you to capture everything that's real"? Of course, incorporating the places you frequent and activities you love is the whole point of this lifestyle trend, but it is so rare to find a client that is on board for a purely documentary style session...that isn't a birth.

Jenny was so excited to just have fun with her maternity session and to capture all of the effort and sweat she has put into maintaining a strong body throughout her pregnancy. She and her husband Sean planed for me to document their pre-planned workout at an open air fit pad on Hurlburt Field, FL.

She told me that she didn't want to try and hide the fact that lifting, especially while pregnant, is freaking hard work. (Even if she did make it look easy enough that I feel like a wimpy loser baby!)

In the end, I was able to rope them into a few more directed images. And Sean really rallied, after a grueling workout, to climb a rope and hang upside down for an impressive amount of time...as I directed Jenny to swing him toward the best light for an adorable Spiderman kiss.

Check out the highlights from this fitness maternity session in the slideshow below. And don't forget to leave a quick comment to help Jenny & Sean earn a print from their session. They need 50 people to comment to earn a free mounted 8x10 image.

Natalie is a lifestyle family photographer serving Pensacola, FL and surrounding areas. With a passion for capturing candid family moments, she specializes in birth and newborn lifestyle photography. Natalie lives in Pensacola with her husband and two (very difficult to photograph) children. Besides photography, she has a passion for modern sewing projects and graphic design.

Last week I visited my sister and brand new baby niece in Los Angeles. Being the relentless photographer that I am, I naturally have hundreds of images of that sweet baby face. Those will take some time to weed thru and edit.

But it just so happens that my oldest friend in the world, Hannah, lives not 20 minutes from my sister. She is quite actually my oldest friend. In the whole wide world. Since we were nothing but blips in our own mothers' wombs. We've fallen in and out of touch over the years, but that kind of history and friendship, thru the most formative years, is a solid rock. And so I knew we had to catch up while I was in town. As soon as I let her know I was coming, she asked for a maternity session. I couldn't have been more psyched to capture this special time for her little family. Unfortunately, plans fell thru...when that perfect California weather I keep hearing about turned into a weekend of monsoons, and her hubby got tied up at work on the sunnier days. A total bummer, but we made the best of it and found some time to trek up her favorite trail in the San Gabriel mountains (in the snow and rapidly falling light) for a few shots and lots of great conversation.

Such a gorgeous lady and incredible scenery really made up for the rain that dampened half of my trip. If you look closely in the last image, you can see the lights of the city. If it weren't for the horrendous traffic and ridiculous cost of living, I'd probably be moving here tomorrow.

Once 50 people have commented on this post, Hannah will receive a FREE 8x10 mounted print. Take a moment to leave a little love below.

Natalie is a lifestyle family photographer serving Pensacola, FL and surrounding areas. With a passion for capturing candid family moments, she specializes in birth and newborn lifestyle photography. Natalie lives in Pensacola with her husband and two (very difficult to photograph) children. Besides photography, she has a passion for modern sewing projects and graphic design.

A few months ago, my phone rang. The number on the caller ID was Mimi's Bistro. (I know, because when I was pregnant, as consolation for having to cancel my life-long awaited trip to Paris due to early pregnancy complications, I liked to order crepes for lunch. So much. Like every other day. So I programmed the number for Mimi's into my cell phone.) Needless to say, I was pretty confused as to why (2 years later) Mimi's might be calling ME. I answered, assuming it was a wrong number.

It wasn't.

It was a reporter from Channel 3 News calling to ask if I would be interested in being interviewed for a story about the rising trend in birth photography. It was Christina Leavenworth from the morning news. And she also happens to own Mimi's Bistro with her Parisian husband Milan. Could this be anything other than fate?

Incredibly, they agreed to trust my vision for a crepe making lifestyle maternity session with their adorable yellow food truck. It was such a hot and humid morning, but a enormously fun session. In addition to a card full of delicious images, they sent me home from our session with a mountain of crepes. I hope you enjoy them as much as I have!

The timing on this post couldn't have been more perfect...Christina & Milan are just hours away from meeting le bebe. I should have a fresh batch of baby photos to work on here very soon.

Once 50 people have commented on this post, Christina & Milan will receive a FREE 8x10 mounted print (a $40 value). Please take a moment to help them reach that goal.

Natalie is a lifestyle family photographer serving Pensacola, FL and surrounding areas. With a passion for capturing candid family moments, she specializes in birth and newborn lifestyle photography. Natalie lives in Pensacola with her husband and two (very difficult to photograph) children. Besides photography, she has a passion for modern sewing projects and graphic design.

Baby Juliet is here!!! Her birth was amazing. But before we can get to that, I have to finish showing you Ace & Melissa's adorable lifestyle maternity session. Because it's pretty awesome too and really deserves a little spotlight. Pensacola maternity photography is awesome.
I've photographed Ace & Melissa a lot over the years. It's just what you do when you're best friends with another photographer. They are just so gosh darn adorable together and their sessions never disappoint. Even so, I had no idea what an exciting treat Melissa had in store for me this time.

WAFFLES!

Not that waffles are all that exciting on their own. But when you walk into a session and your subjects announce that they are about to make waffles together while you photograph it?!?!? Now that's a lifestyle photographer's dream right there. So Ace made waffles while Melissa drank coffee (because we're all java heads and coffee ends up in every shoot), they showed me their nursery, packed up the hospital bag, got a little work done, and (as a reward for all that hard work) ended the session with a foot massage. It was pretty much a perfect morning.

Click play to check out our fun. And be sure to leave Melissa & Ace a comment below.

Disclaimer: Melissa really only ate waffles. The rest of the fridge rummaging was staged. Sometimes I can't resist small deviations from reality.

Natalie is a lifestyle family photographer serving Pensacola, FL and surrounding areas. With a passion for capturing candid family moments, she specializes in birth and newborn lifestyle photography. Natalie lives in Pensacola with her husband and two (very difficult to photograph) children. Besides photography, she has a passion for modern sewing projects and graphic design.

I'm so grateful for the clients that have stuck with me on this journey into lifestyle photography. Julie and Jeremy were my very first clients to allow me to experiment with the ultimate lifestyle session, birth photography. I was so thrilled that Julie was quick to come back and book me for the birth of her second baby, and for a fun lifestyle maternity session! Milton family photographer Natalie Zepp at Russell Harbor Landing.
I knew that Jeremy and Julie love taking their son Jason out to Blackwater River to swim and play. I have to admit though, I didn't really understand the appeal (especially given that Pensacola Beach isn't far away). I guess I envisioned them taking him canoeing or tubing, which sounded like a logistical nightmare with a toddler/pre-schooler. But if being on the river is an important part of their lives, then I was game to shoot the heck out of it.

Driving down the side road to Russell Harbor, watching it open up into a picturesque riverside park with giant shady oak trees and Spanish moss worthy of a southern plantation, I got it. This place was beautiful. With no vast expanse of sandy beach. No infinite ocean of waves. No rip tides. No sharks. Forget the beach. This anxious, over-protective mama is taking her kids here next time!

The Roughtons played in the water, shot water guns, filled up buckets with clay...and I shot and shot. What is better than families doing life together? Press play. (EDIT: I cannot figure out why, but sometimes the video embedded in the blog will not play back at full resolution. I'm working with tech support to find a solution. But I can't wait to share! So if the images look blurry or washed out, please CLICK HERE for the best viewing experience. And then come back for more!)

Eventually Julie and I left the boys the their fun and took a few minutes to squeeze in a few dreamy maternity portraits.

Thanks guys, for always being up for anything!

Please leave a comment below to help Julie and Jeremy win a FREE 8x10 mounted print from their session (a $40.00 value). The need 50 people to comment to win.

Natalie is a lifestyle family photographer serving Pensacola, FL and surrounding areas. With a passion for capturing candid family moments, she specializes in birth and newborn lifestyle photography. Natalie lives in Pensacola with her husband and two (very difficult to photograph) children. Besides photography, she has a passion for modern sewing projects and graphic design.

Lindsey and Derek are not morning people (or so they say). But with afternoon thunderstorms looming on the day of their beachy lifestyle maternity session they were quick to agree to meeting me before the sun. They are "anything for the shot kind of people". My kind of people! Pensacola Beach Maternity Photographer
Sunrise sessions are always worth the sacrifice. The light is softer and the colors more dreamy. I mean look!

Mornings are magical.

Lindsey and Derek were magical too! These days I am only photographing "lifestyle" sessions, and normally a beach session would be something I declined. But Lindsey convinced me that their lives positively REVOLVE around the beach. When I asked what they did for fun, every answer was something to do with the beach. Hanging on the beach, walking their dog on the beach, hunting for shells together. So we made sure to incorporate some of these things.

Apparently it is also Lindsey's lifelong dream to be a mermaid. Something that I did not know when I sat her down in the sand "like a mermaid" (as my daughter's ballet teacher would say). And neither of us were prepared for the tide to sweep and surround her like a mermaid sitting on a rock. I couldn't have planned it more perfectly.

Derek was especially charismatic in front of the camera. He was so good at just grabbing Lindsey and pulling her close, without waiting for instruction. i had such a good time with these two!

Baby Kelly is here and her newborn session is just waiting for it's turn to be featured. I bet you can't guess what the theme of her nursery decor is...Ok. I bet you CAN guess. But stay tuned to find out.

Thanks so much for reading and watching. Please take just a moment to leave Derek and Lindsey a comment. They need 50 comments to earn a free mounted 8x10 print!

Mary and Blake came all the way from Atlanta, Georgia for their Pensacola maternity photography session. In an effort to make their images a meaningful reflection of their lives together, I (as I always do) began asking about their hobbies and favorite activities...They love to grocery shop together. (I mean seriously, how sweet is that?)
And so we headed down to the local Fresh Market, where Mary's dad just happens to work (yes, he totally makes a cameo). We had so much fun filling their basket with all of Mary's cravings, watching her pine over all of the things she can't have, and stopping to snack on the merchandise (yes, we paid for it first). The giggles never stopped and Blake had me in absolute stitches with his melon related shenanigans in the produce aisle. A HUGE special thanks to the folks at Fresh Market for permission to shoot and continuing to put up with us.

Mary and Blake wanted to be surprised by baby's gender and...IT'S A BOY!

I'm so sad that Mary, Blake, and new baby Oliver live 5 hours away and I didn't get to shoot his arrival earth side or his newborn lifestyle session. It will probably take me years to get over it.

50 comments on this post gets Mary and Blake a free mounted 8x10 from their session. Don't forget to leave them a sweet note in the comment section below.

Josh and Melissa are new to the Pensacola area, and love taking their little Maddie down to the Palafox Pier. We thought Palafox would be a great place for a little maternity mini session just a week before their scheduled c-section. Melissa and Josh are such a fun and beautiful couple. Josh is a total comedian, always quick on the draw with a joke or sarcastic quip. Melissa just takes it all in stride, occasionally rolling her eyes in mock exasperation over his hilarious commentary. It's obvious what a close knit little family they have. Their little Maddie wasn't too happy about being woken from her nap, but completely adorable nonetheless. Aren't kids are the most fun when they want nothing to do with you? I love capturing those sassy little personalities. Pensacola FL Maternity Photography

These three will be back on the blog again soon, with baby Victor on the outside of the belly. Little Maddie is so sweet with her brother. You don't want to miss it! Pensacola FL Maternity Photography

Help Melissa & Josh earn a free 8x10 mounted print from their session (a $40 value) by leaving a quick comment below. They need 50 comments to get their print.

A few months ago, I had the pleasure of doing a gender reveal maternity shoot for Julie and Jeremy. Julie is such a beauty with a spunky and fun personality. Jeremy is the strong, silent type that makes you die laughing when you least expect it. And when he looks at Julie you can see the love written all over his face. He was such a good sport about lugging all of the props and wardrobe changes up and down miles of boardwalk.

Last Sunday my camera and I were so honored as to be present for the delivery of their sweet little bundle. But before I can share the baby, we have to see the belly!

UPDATE: Baby Jason's birthday has been blogged! Check out this special moment here.

Natalie is a lifestyle family photographer serving Pensacola, FL and surrounding areas. With a passion for capturing candid family moments, she specializes in birth and newborn lifestyle photography. Natalie lives in Pensacola with her husband and two (very difficult to photograph) children. Besides photography, she has a passion for modern sewing projects and graphic design.